To Be A Warrior

Chapter 43: Follow Me Down

Redwings fly overhead, their brown feathers contrasting to the falling snow. I wrap my scarf tighter around my neck, sending Zoe a raised brow when she breathes in deeply. How the freezing December air doesn't freeze her lungs is beyond me.

"Isn't it nice to be outside?"

"Yeah, it's lovely," Phil grumbles, and Zoe's small smile drops as she sends him a pointed look.

"Phil, come on. This is our exciting new nature segment."

"And why did we decide to do a nature segment at this time of year?"

More importantly, why did you decide to ask me to come along for this?

I don't normally get upset on going on runs. Well, no, that's a lie. There have been multiple times I've complained about being sent on missions that feel less important compared to the work that needs to be done. But after last week, going on a mission that I have less of a chance (not none, because there's always a chance of dying while going out) of dying seemed nice. The only problem I have with it is I would rather use my non-scary mission to get Christmas presents or materials to make said Christmas presents. The holiday is in ten days and I've barely done anything.

"Welcome to a new age," A voice crackles into our headset. "New zombies and new fears. But you're not afraid. You're ready. Complete my challenge and receive your reward."

Zoe laughs, looking a bit smug when she glances over at Phil. "Told you he'd break into the broadcast again."

Phil still scowls. "We could have ignored him and gone for a loo break like last time, and not dragged Five into this."

"Thank you," I murmur, but Zoe shakes her head.

"But he's offering a prize to anyone who completes the challenge."

I cringe at that. The two have told me a bit about this random person who keeps finding a way to break through the broadcast and talk into runners' headsets. This person is good with tech, or at least, good enough to break into the broadcast of every runner in Abel and other settlements. We aren't sure about how many, but we at least know that Abel and New Canton have been getting the broadcasts.

I don't like the idea of someone promising prizes for something simply called "a challenge". For all we know it could be a trick and this person could be feeding the people who complete the challenge to their pet zoms or something. I've met some really weird people during the apocalypse. Something like that would disgust me, but not shock me.

I think though that it is good that Phil and Zoe asked me to come along for this mission. While I'm not entirely too happy about it, I at least know to be skeptical. Some of the newer runners, like the teenagers from Blackmoore Castle that came to live in Abel about four months ago, are still learning and may look to this with less logic that could get them killed. I mean, they're smart, of course, but with experience comes knowledge, one of them being to investigate but never trust.

"You know it won't be kittens," He replies, crossing his arms.

"You don't know that. Could be anything. Could be a baby tapir."

He rolls his eyes. "It's not going to be a baby anything. It's probably like three tins of moldy baked beans and a kazoo. If so, I guess Callista could give that to Phineas so he could play it."

I blink. "Phineas is deaf."

He winces. "Oh, shit. Right. Sorry. I don't... I forgot."

"But there's a chance it could be something really useful," Zoe says. "Janine agreed we should go after it."